Inflatable boat



Oct. 2, 1928, 1,686,366

J. F. BOYLE INFLATABLE BOAT Filed April 2, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet l Get. 2, 1928. 1,686,366 6 J. F. BOYLE I NFLATABLE BOAT Filed April 2, 1926 s Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct'. 2, 1928. 1,686,366

J. F. BOYLE INFLATABLE BOAT Filed April 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 A rTOEA E Y6.

Patented Oct. 2, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES F. BOYLE, OF HAMMONDSPORT, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO AIRSHIPS INCOR- PORATED, OF HAMMONDSPORT, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

INFLATABLE BOAT.

Application filed April 2, 1926.

This invention relates to improvements in collapsible and inflatable boats of the kind having an air compartment of substantially tubular form which extends either partly or wholly around the periphery of the boat to impart buoyancy thereto, and a bottom, preferably of flexible water-tight material secured to the air compartment.

The main object of this invention is to provide a boat of this kind of improved and simplified construction, which can be economically and efficiently constructed and is easier to handle and more convenient and comfortable to the occupant or occupants.

Other objects are to provide an improved connection between the boat bottom and the air compartment, thereof; also to provide a, boat of this kind in which the air compartment is divided by bulkheads or the like into a number of parts or sections and which are so arranged that more than one part, can be inflated and deflated by a single valve or air opening; also to provide means operable at will to place different sections of the air compartment out of or into communication with each other to facilitate inflation and deflation of the air compartment; also to provide a boat of this kind with a collapsible spray shield; also to provide a boat of this kind with an air compartment which is shaped so as to provide greater buoyancy where the greatest weight is placed in the normal operation of the boat; also to provide the air compartment of a boat of this kind with bulkheads of improved construction; also to provide a boat of this kind with oarlocks of improved construction; also to improve the construction of boats of this kind in other respects hereinafter specified.

In the accompanying, drawings,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a boat embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a transverse, sectional elevation thereof, on an enlarged scale, on line 33, Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, sectional elevation thereof, on line H, Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary, sectional view on a still larger scale, of a tube connecting adj a-- cent sections of the air compartment.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a clamp for closing the connecting tube.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary, sectional plan view thereof on line 7-7, Fig.2.

Serial No.- 99,375.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary, longitudinal, sectional elevation thereof on line 88, Fig. 1.

Fig. 9 is an edge view of an oarlock of improved construction.

Fig. 10 is a face view thereof.

Figs. 11 and 12 are sections respectively on line 11-11 and 1212, Fig. 10.

F ig. 13 is a fragmentary, transverse, sectional elevation thereof on line 13-13, Fig. 1.

Fig. 14 is an enlarged section of themflation and deflation valve.

Fig. 15 is a central, longitudinal, sectional view of the valve tube and showing a valve opening device in operative relation thereto.

Fig. 16 is a face view of the inner end of the valve.

' Fig. 17 is a bottom plan view of the part of 1the valve which carries the flexible valve dis I.

Figs. 18 and 19 are respectively an edge view and a face view of a device for holding the valve open.

The boat to which this invention relates is of the type having a tubular air compartment forming the sides and ends of the boat, the bottom of the boat being made of watertight, flexible material and being secured to the air compartment, so that the occupants of the boat are kept dry. The entire boat, including the bottom of the boat and the air compartment, when deflated, may be folded into a compact space.

The air compartment of the boat preferably, though not necessarily, includes a number of tubular sections or parts. In the particular construction shown the air compartment includes a pair of tubular side sections 20 and 21, and two end sections 22 and 23 which are separated from the side sections 20, 21 by means of bulk-heads 24. It will be understood. of course, that the air compartment may be divided into more or less sections than shown in the drawings without departing from this invention. The lower portion of the air compartment is connected by means of a bottom 25 which is preferably in the form of a sheet of flexible waterproof material secured at its edges to the air compartment, so that a watertight connection is formed between the bottom 25 of the boat and the air compartment which forms the sides of the boat. Any suitable manner of attaching the boat bottom 25 to the air compartment maybe employed, but preferably the edge portion of the boat bottom is folded inwardly resisted bgothe tape 27. On the other hand when the at is folded or deflated and a pull is exerted in the opposite direction, this pull will be resisted by the joint between the folded edge ortion 26 and the air comartment. T is construction is simple aiid inexpensive to manufacture and is very reliable in that the usual strains or pulls of the boat bottom against the air compartment will not tend to rip or tear the cemented edges or surfaces connecting the boat bottom and the air compartment, but will act substantially in the planes of the cemented seams or connections, to which strains these seams or connections offer the maximum resistance.

As is clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the air compartment is made of varying cross section, which, in the particular construction shown, increases toward the front or how of the boat, so that the section 23 of the air compartment is of considerably larger size or greater capacity than the opposite section 22. This construction is particularly useful either when the boat is made to be rowed by a single occu ant, in which case the bow of the boat can e made more buoyant than the stern, or when the boat is used in connection with an out-board motor, the weight of which will be counterbalanced by the increased buoyancy of a larger section at the stern of the air compartment. In order to further increase the buoyanc of an end portion of the boat, the side sections 20 and 21 are preferably also made slightly tapering, being of greater'diameter at one end thereof than at the other end. By means of this construc: tion, any portion of the boat which is required to carry a eater load than other portions may be ma e capable. of carrying the greater load in such a manner that the boat, though unevenly loaded, will nevertheless float in a substantially level or horizontal position.

In boats of this kind as heretofore con- I structed, when the air compartment was made bellows or pump with a number of different to another. n the particular em iment of the invention illustrated, only one of the sections of the air compartment is provided with an air. inlet oroutlet, namely the section 20 of the air compartment. Communication from this section to the other sections of the boat is established by means of bypass tubes 30 which extend around the bulkheads 24 and the ends of each of-which terminate in adj acent sections at opposite sides of a bulkhead and form a connection between these sections, and these tubes are made of light flexible material so that they can be readily tied up or closed in such a way that no air passes through the bypass tubes 30. Consequently when air is forced into the valve in the section 20 of the air compartment, the air passes through the various bypass tubes 30 into the other sections and after the desired quantity of air has been pumped into the compartment the bypass tubes can be closed by any "suitable means so that communication between the various sections of the compartment is interrupted. Againwhen the boat is being deflated the air valve may be held open and by reestablishing communication between the various sections, by removing the means for closing the bypass tubes 30, all of the air in the various sections of the compartment 'can be forced out through the valve. It will be understood, of course, that, if desired, two or more air valves can be provided so that, for example, one air valve is provided for each pair of sections of the compartment. The bypass tubes 30 may be of any suitable or desired construction, being preferably substantially U-shaped in form and the ends of each tubeterminate in holes 31 in adjacent sec tions of the .air compartment, as'is clearly shown in Fig: '7, and these ends are securelycemented or otherwise fastened to the sections of the air compartmpnt around the holes 31 therein, for example, by means of flanges 32 of the tubes which are cemented or secured against the inner walls of the sections ofthc air compartment.

It will be obvious, of course, that the bypass tubes '30 can be closed by means of tying a cord'or stringaround the same or in any other suitable manner, but in order to facilitate the opening and closing of these bypass tubes. a spring clamp, such as shown in Figs. 5 and 6 is preferably employed because of the ease with which it can be applied to and removed from a tube. This clamp consists of two relatively movable arms or parts held by a spring in a tube clamping position, so that if the two arms are arranged at opposite sides of. the tube, the tube will be closed thereby. The clamp shown for this purpose in Figs. 5-and 6 is preferably made of a single piece of wire and one of the arms consists of a U- shaped portion 34 of the wire. One end of adapted to be closed'oropened at will to control the passa eof air from one com artment 1,ese,see

the U-shaped portion terminates in one end of a spring coil and the other end 36 of the U-shaped portion preferably extends through the coil to hold the two parallel parts of this arm in correct relation to each other. The other end of the spring coil 35 terminates in an arm 37 which is arranged to lie between the two parallel parts of the U-shaped arm 34, and is yieldingly pressed against the base of the U-shaped arm by the spring coil 35. The end of this arm may be bent to form a handle as indicated at 38 to facilitate moving this arm relatively to the U-shaped arm 34. Consequently the coil or spring 35 holds the arms normally in a position shown in Fig. 6. However, when the arm 37 is raised against the spring out of its position between the two parallel portions of the U-shaped arm 34, the two arms may be placed into engagement with opposite sides of the bypass tube 30, and when released the spring 35 will press the arms into their tube clamping positions, as shown in Fig. 5. This clamping device has the advantage that it can be very easily applied to or removed from a tube and securely closes a tube when in position thereon.

Consequently when the boat is to be inflated it is necessary only to connect the bellows or inflating pump with a single air inlet valve and pump up the air compartment until the same has contained a sufficient quantity of air. Clamps are placed on the various bypass tubes, and the boat is ready for operation. If one of the sections of the air compartment should become punctured, the clamps and bulkheads 24 will prevent the air from escaping from the undamaged sections. On the other hand when it is desired to collapse the boat the valve or inflation opening is opened and all of the clamps are removed from the bypass tubes whereupon the air can be readily removed from the entire air compartment at one time.

The bulkheads 24, may, of course, be of any suitable or desired construction, but are preferably made as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 7, in which the bulkheads are formed of a singe piece of soft rubber formed to provide a web portion or disk 40 which is provided at its circumferential edge with an annular flange 41. This flange may be cemented or vulcanized to the wall of the air compartment in any suitable or desired manner. Bulkheads of this kind are easily formed or molded in the desired shape and can also be easily installed in the air compartment.

Since the bows of boats of this kind are generally comparatively blunt, considerable splashing or spray may result, particularly when going against the wind, and since one of the occupants of the boat generally sits near the bow, it is desirable to provide means for protecting the occupant in the bow seat against the spray. It is also desirable that the entire boat can be collapsed, folded and packed as a unit in a bag or other small con tainer, and that the spray shield should also be made entirely of flexible material and for this pur ose the following construction is preferab y employed :--A substantially U- shaped tube 44 preferably made of light, flexible and air-tight material, is secured near the bow of the boat and the open ends thereof are in communication with the air compartment. This may be accomplished in any suit able manner, for example, in the same manner as the bypass tubes 30 are secured to the various sections of the air compartment.

Consequently when the boat is inflated, air

will pass into the tube 44 and will cause the same to become comparatively stiff and to.assume a position in which the tube 44 stands substantially upright as shown in Figs. 1-4. This tube, therefore, forms a span or support for a spray shield 45, which may be of any suitable waterproof material, cemented or otherwise secured at its lower edge to the top surface of the air compartment and having its upper portion secured to the span or tube 44. This tube as Well as the spray shield 45 are both flexible even when the tube is inflated, so that they will in no way interfere with the comfort of the occupant of the bow seat 46 of the boat. When on the other hand the boat is deflated the tube 44 may be folded in any suitable or desired manner so as to occupy very little space and also adds very little to the weight of the boat.

Oarlocks of improved construction which are adapted particularly for use in connection with a boat of this kind are shown in Figs. 9 to 12, and each of these oarlocks includes a base flange 47 which is adapted to be secured to the air compartment of the boat in any suitable or desired manner, for example, by cementing or vulcanizing, and an upwardly extending flange or part of substantially triangular shape is formed integral therewith as indicated at 48. This upwardly extending flange is provided in the middle portion thereof with a transverse hole or opening 49 through which oars or paddles may be passed, and an annular reinforcing flange 50 is preferably formed around the opening 49. Since a considerable strain comes on the upwardly extending flange 48, this flange is preferably reinforced by means of fabric of any suitable kind such as canvas or duck 51 which is suitably embedded in the rubber of the flange 48 and which surrounds the opening 49 therein. The canvas or duck reinforces the Web or flange 48 in such a manner that the same will withstand severe strains. The oarlock on the other hand is of light weight and is sufliciently flexible so as not to interfere in any way with the packing of the boat when the same is deflated. If desired the securing of the oarlock on the air compartment of the boat may be reinforced by means of a cover sheet 52 shown in Figs. 1 and 2, which is se- .er supporting shell or housing having a tubuhr portion 55 adapted to extend into an opening in the air compartment, and which has an annular flange port-ion 56 which may be suitably secured on the outer face of the air compartment by cementing, vulcanizi'ng, or in an other manner. These parts are preferab y made of rubber and the tubular bushing 55 is vulcanized to an inner metal sleeve 57 which is preferably suitably threaded to receive a screw stopper 58, Fig. 13, of

any suitable or usual construction. The

' other means.

that verylittle air pressure is necessar sleeve 57 is provided near its outer end with a flange or outwardly extending portion 59, which is embedded in the tubular portion of the valve supporting shell or housing and serves to anchor the sleeve 57 in its rubber housing, and at the other end the tube 57 is provided with an annular inwardly extending flange with which the plug orstopper 58 may cooperate to prevent the escape of air from the air compartment through the sleeve. To this flange 60 is secured a valve supporting ring or member 61 which is preferably of substantially the same diameter as the tube 57 and which has also an inwardly extending flange adapted to lie against the flange 60 and to be secured thereto by welding, soldering or The valve supporting member 61 is provided with a diametrically extending bridge or cross member 62 which is adapted to carry a valve disk 63 made of rubber, leather or other flexible material, a rivet 64 being preferably employed for holding the valve disk 63 in place and passing through a hole in the bridge member 62. The valve normally occupies the position shown in Fig. 14 in which the pressure of the air within the air compartment tends to hold the valve disk 63 seated against the supportingring 61. This valve is of simple and eflicient construction and the valve disk 63 may be made of readily yieldable or pliable material so to move the valve ofl of its seat when the oat is being inflated and a correspondingly small air pressure will hold the valve on its seat to retain the air in the air compartment. An inflation valve of other construction may, of course, be employed, if desired.

Means are preferably provided for holding the air valve open when the boat is being deflated, and .for this purpose a clamp 65 is shown which is made of a single piece ofw resilient sheet metal bent intermediate of its ends to form a loop or handle ortion 66, and two arms 67 and 68, provide atslight distances from their ends with outwardly extendingbends 69 and'70. The two arms of the clamp may be inserted into the openings in the valve and the outwardly extending bent portions 69. and 70 thereof may snap over the bridge member 62 in such a manner as shown in Fig. 15, whereby the valve opening member will be held in place on the bridge member 62 by its own resilienc and the outer ends of the arms thereof wil hold the valve 63 in its open position. The boat may then be easily deflated. When the clampin member is removed from the valve by mere y pulling the same out, the valve disk 63 will readily return to its valve closing position. Other means for holding the valve open may, of course be em loyed, if desired.

The boat shown in the rawings is made with one seat only, but it will be understood that this boat may be made of any desired size and may contain a number of additional seats, and additional oarlocks my be provided if necessary.

I claim as my invention 1. A boat having an inflatable aircompartment, a bulkhead dividing said air compartment into a plurality of sections, and a bypass tube connecting atits ends with adjacent sections at oppositesides of said bulkhead and adapted to be 0 ened and closed at will for controlling the ow of air between said compartments.

2. A boat having an inflatable air compartment divided into a number of sections, an air inlet and outlet passage in one of said sections, and passages communicating between sections and adapted to be opened and closed at will for controlling the flow of air from one section to another.

3. A boat having an air compartment divided into a number of sections, one of said sections having anair inlet and outlet passage, a tube connecting the sections through which air may flow from one section to an other, and means for closing said tube to prevent the passage of air therethrough.

4. A boat having an air compartment divided into a numberof sections, one of said sections having an air inlet and outlet pas-' sage, a tube connecting the sections through which air may flow. from one'section to another, and means for compressing said tube to prevent the passage of air therethrough.

5. A boat having an aircompartment divided into a number ofsections, one of said sections having an air 1nlet and-outlet passage, a tube connecting the sections through which'air may flow from one sectionto another, a'nd'a clamp adapted to be secured to' the outside of said tube to compress thesame to prevent the flow of air through the tube.

6. boat provided with an inflatable air compartment divided into sections, an inflation and deflation passage arranged in a section, a tube connecting said sections for permitting air to. flow from one section to another, and a spring clamp including a pair of arms resiliently pressed toward each other and adapted when placed on said tube to close the same.

7. A boat provided with an inflatable air compartment divided into sections, an inflation and deflation passage arranged in a section, a tube connecting said sections for permitting air to flow from one section to another, and a clamp made of a single piece of wire and including a pair of arms connected by a spring coil, said arms being adapted to be placed at opposite sides of a tube and to be moved toward each other by said spring coil to close said tube.

8. A boat provided with an inflatable air compartment divided into sections, an inflation and deflation passage arranged in a section, a tube connecting said sections for permitting air to flow from one section to another, a spring clamp made of wire and having one arm formed of two substantially parallel parts of said wire, another arm adapted to enter between said two parts, and a spring coil connecting said arms and tending to press the same together, said arms being adapted to engage opposite sides of the tube for closing the tube.

9. A collapsible spray shield for a boat including a span member made of tubing of light-flexible material and adapted, when inflated with air, to assume the desired shape for supporting the spray shield.

10. A spray shield for a boat including a sheet of flexible material adapted to be secured at an edge thereof to the boat, and a tube of flexible material secured to the spray shield near the other edge thereof and adapted to be inflated to assume a shape to support the spray shield in the desired position.

11. A spray shield for a boat having an inflatable air compartment, said shield including a sheet of material adapted to be secured to the boat at portions of said sheet, and a tube of flexible material secured to another portion of said sheet and communicating with said inflatable air compartment and adapted, when inflated by air from said compartment, to assume a shape for supporting the spray shield.

12. A spray shield for a boat having an inflatable air compartment, said spray shield including a tube adapted when inflated to form a relatively rigid span member to sup port the shield.

13. In a boat having an inflatable air compartment extending around the peripheral portion thereof, the combination of a spray shield secured at its lower edges to said air compartment, a tube of flexible air-tight material. communicating with said air compartment and adapted wheninflated to assume an arched shape to support the upper edge of the spray shield.

14. A boat having an inflatable air 'com-.

having an upwardly inturned outer edge portion, the upper edge of which is secured to said air compartment, and a tape extending around the edge of said bottom portion and secured to the peripheral portion of said bottom and extending outwardly therefrom and having its outer portion secured to the air compartment.

16. In an inflatable boat the combination of an inflatable air compartment extending around the periphery of said boat, a boat bottom consisting of a strip of flexible material, and a connection between said boat bottom and sald air compartment including an upwardly and inwardly turned edge portion formed integral with said bottom and the upper face of which is secured to the lower portion of the inflatable compartment, and a narrow strip of material extending around the bottom of said boat and secured partly to the peripheral portion of the bottom of the boat and extending outwardly beyond said peripheral portion and secured to said inflatable compartment.

17 An oarlock for an inflatable boat, said oarlock being made of rubber and having a flange portion adapted to be secured to a part of the boat, and an outwardly extending web portion connected with said flange portion and provided with a hole therein through which an oar may be inserted.

18. An oar lockfor an inflatable boat having an air compartment extending around the peripheral portion thereof, said oar lock including a flanged base portion adapted to be secured to said air compartment, and an outwardly extending web portion having an aperture therein through which an oar may pass, said web portion being formed integral with said base portion.

19. An oar lock for a boat including a base portion adapted to be secured to a part of the boat, and an upwardly extending flange portion having an aperture therein through which an oar may pass, said base and flange being formed integral and made of rubber,

and an integral reinforcing bead extending around said aperture. 7 20. An oar lock for a boat including a base portion adapted to be secured to a part of the A boat, and an upwardly extending flange portion having an aperture therein through which an oar may pass, said base and flange being formed integral and made of rubber, and a web of reinforcing material embedded in said rubber and extending into the web portion of said oar lock.

21. An oar lock for a boat including a baseortion adapted to be secured to a part of the oat, an upwardly extending flange portion having an aperture therein through which an oar-may pass, said base and flange. being formed integral and made of rubber, and a layer of fabric embedded in the web portion of said oar lock and surrounding the aperture oar lock. JAMES F. BOYLE.

therein for reinforcing the web portion of the 

